Beach Beauty

Some sun products you will always find in my beach bag? French Pharmacy brands Avène and La Roche-Posay. First, I go to French Pharmacy brands because they are safer and cleaner than most US brands. The EU law bans 1,328 chemicals from cosmetics that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm or birth defects. In comparison, the U.S. FDA has only banned or restricted 11 chemicals from cosmetics. And, unlike the United States, EU law requires pre-market safety assessments of cosmetics, mandatory registration of cosmetic products, government authorization for the use of nanomaterials and prohibits animal testing for cosmetic purposes.

Second, I go to French Pharmacy brands because the quality is equal to or greater than high-ends brands in the US but the price-point is way more affordable.

Third, and more importantly, (kidding! relax!) I went to see Gwinny's dermatologist when I was in Paris last year and he was waaaaay into Avène and La Roche-Posay and sent me home with a huge bag full of samples of his favorite products. Included among them were Avène's sunscreen face lotion, sunscreen lotion for the body, spray, and facestick, and La Roche-Posay's Anthelios Water-lotion for the face (for those among us with oily or problem skin that tends to get clogged by regular zinc-based sunscreens) and melt-in sunscreen milk for the body, for kids, and for sport. All of these products are top-notch. Truly. They both offer sprays but I have gotten burned (literally) too many times with the sprays.

For US products, Beautycounter's sunscreen, face stick and body stick are the hands down winners. Love their commitment to quality ingredients that you can feel good about putting on your skin and your children's. They go way above American standards and the products are rich and luxurious and work!!!

For after sun, I am a total devotée of Hampton Sun's aloe mist spray and Sun Bum's Cool Down Spray. My kids have come to love and expect the Cool Down Spray after a day in the sun. It's good to have that extra dose of moisture after all that sun, chlorine, and salt.

I've also learned the hard way that it's a brilliant idea to protect your hair (especially if you process yours as much as I do). Philip Kingsley's sunshield and after sun scalp mask are fantastic! They keep your hair from getting too blond and keep your locks nourished and soft (and not crispy and crunchy!!!).

Finally, totally vibing on these incredibly chic sunglasses, this hat. Add it to a suit and sheer-shirt-as-cover-up similar to the one Lucy Williams is wearing in the lead photo and you are guaranteed to literally shut. it. down. on vacay. Word.